Today, the European Union and the United Kingdom have enabled the UK's association to Erasmus+ in 2027.
The UK's association to Erasmus+ will place UK learners, staff, education institutions and organisations on the same footing as those in EU Member States and other third countries associated to the programme. It puts people-to-people exchanges at the core of the renewed EU-UK agenda and strengthens cooperation between both sides. This important step delivers on the commitment made at the first EU-UK Summit in May 2025, by adopting an amendment to Protocol I of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement .
European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, said: "Europe and the UK have enjoyed mutually beneficial educational ties for centuries. Strengthening those ties further makes perfect sense on both sides – for our students, teachers, educational systems, economies and societies as a whole. I look forward to seeing the immense potential of this development being realised as soon as possible."
This exciting development will create opportunities for thousands of students, educational staff and youth, and provide them with future-proof skills and competencies sought after by employers. It will ensure that more people from diverse backgrounds can study, teach or train abroad.
The agreement will also help create and deepen partnerships between EU and UK academic institutions. It will foster cooperation and exchange of practices, allowing actors to make better use of new technologies, develop innovative teaching, training and learning methods, promote non-formal learning, and develop common tools and activities. This will help strengthen Europe's position as a global education hub.
The European Commission will work closely with UK partners to ensure Erasmus+ delivers maximum benefits for students and institutions on both sides of the Channel. The UK will designate a National Agency to oversee its participation in the programme as of 2027.
Background
Beyond the 27 EU Member States, the following third countries currently participate in the Erasmus+ programme: Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Türkiye. Both UK and Switzerland shall participate in Erasmus+ as of 1st of January 2027.
